Friday, May 4, 2012

Miguel and I go to the movies a lot in Brussels, mostly because we have a UGC pass. This allows us to pay a set rate each month for as many movies as we care to see, for this, going to the movies here is great. The rest of it, well, you can decide.

Last weekend we went to see American Pie: The Reunion (which was surprisingly good) with friends on a weekend night and I wanted to document some of the ridiculousness. Miguel and I arrived 30 minutes before the movie to get our tickets and get seats. The ticket line was surprisingly ok, but when we got to the actual theater we were blocked from entering by a velvet rope. Now, this is standard procedure, they were cleaning the theater or something, but the staff at the UGC made NO effort to control the crowd. Soon it was packed enough with an unorganized mob that had there been an emergency I don't even want to think about what would have happened. Finally, about 5 minutes before the show was supposed to start one staff member seems to remember that there are people waiting and lifts the rope, at which point it's a no-holds-barred free for all. People pushing and shoving, rushing around trying to get seats. The crazy part was, the theater wasn't even full in the end!

So the four of us settle into our decent seats for the show. Before the movie started we got one measly trailer that came on first and then the ads. My god the ads. The ads for beverages alone were ridiculous! Two for coke, one for pepsi, one for aquarious and one for fanta (and maybe one for sprite). There were ads for Axe body spray, for various radio stations, car dealerships, etc. For. 20. Minutes. Towards the end of this barrage (during which you have to think, did I actually pay for a ticket??) we get one more trailer. For the movie we are about to see. What is that? As if that's not ridiculous enough, it was advertising it saying it opened on May 2nd, and we were sitting in that theater nearly a week before that date. Oy.

So finally just about an hour after arriving at the theater the movie starts, and already I start to think, uh oh, I have to pee. Of course, I avoided the bathroom before the movie because not only is it pretty smelly, out of toilet paper a lot of the time, only has crappy "automatic" hand dryers (that are basically the equivalent of having someone just breathe on them for about five seconds at a time), no paper towels and no purse hooks (the floor... ew) but I have to pay 35 cents for the privilege. The concept of a "madame pipi" annoys me anyway, but in a theater where even if I don't order a drink I have to sit through five drink ads before the movie even starts and I end up in the same place for at least three hours. COME. ON.

One last complaint to end on (I swear, I'm not bitter). The idiot girl behind me kept kicking my seat. Actually, to be fair, she had her feet on the back of my seat the entire time and would kick it sporadically. This is despite me turning around in my seat and asking her to stop, turning around and glaring, pushing my seat back when she did it and none of that worked. I understand accidentally kicking the seat in front of you while you cross your legs, but this was ridiculous and incredibly inconsiderate.

All of that said, we still go to the movies a lot and it's not always that crazy. As always my ranting is meant more for entertainment that to be a scathing review of Brussels. So... enjoy!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Oy, I've been putting off this post, knowing it would be a long whiny one, but here goes!

Walking in Brussels takes quick thinking, stealthy maneuvers, eyes everywhere and constant awareness of the people around you. The uneven cobblestones may give you enough trouble, but then there's the dog (or horse) shit, slow/stupid people, cars, buses, trash and even the odd zucchini! God help you if it's raining, or even if you want to look up to enjoy the scenery on a lovely day! So here is my list of things to look out for if you happen to be visiting (or living) in this lovely city.

1. Cobblestones. Cobblestones are the most frequent offenders on this list. First of all, they are almost always uneven, many jutting up enough to cause a stubbed toe. This happens to me about once a day and I often see it happen to others. Irregular cobblestones are far better than missing cobblestones, or loose ones that have been dug up and vertically placed. Also, beware of loose ones when it rains or you will be muddy in no time flat. Please scroll for examples.

2. Shit. Dog shit is everywhere in Brussels and I honestly don't understand why people don't clean up after their dogs. Often you will see a big fresh one with a foot print right in the middle and smears going down the sidewalk. *shudder* Something else I've seen (though not commonly) is horse shit. Granted, that would be harder to clean, but come on, especially when it's right. In. The. Crosswalk. Ugh. People, if you have a dog (or a horse) please be responsible and clean up after it. And walkers, keep a close lookout, the moment you look up and start enjoying a lovely Art Nouveau building there will be poop.

3. People. If you read my post about the hoard of children you will already have a sense of what I'm talking about. In my neighborhood people are everywhere and if you are in a rush, you had better guarantee that they will be especially slow just for you. Many people will walk slowly and 3 abreast so you cannot pass. If they are slow because they walk with a cane they will swerve around to ensure passing is impossible. Women with hummer-sized strollers will park themselves in the exact doorway of the exact shop you want to go into. The people who are actually walking at a brisk pace will decide to abruptly stop in a random place in the middle of the sidewalk, maybe to talk to a friend, maybe to text someone, maybe just for fun, who knows.

Also, do not attempt to play "chicken" with these people. They will not move. If they see you coming and keep on walking either swerve or prepare for impact. If it is entirely their fault that you run into them they will be angry and will possibly yell at you. If it is your fault they won't even notice. Never expect an apology but be pleasantly surprised when you get one.

4. Cars. In theory, cars stay in the road, so the only time you should have to worry about them is when you are crossing the street. In Brussels this is mostly true. When on the sidewalk about to cross and a car is speeding towards you, make sure they see you before stepping into the street (seems logical, right?). There are times when drivers will blatantly ignore crosswalks and speed right through. When this happens I like to yell at the back of the car, most likely "COME ON!!!" or "JESUS!!!", I also like to gesticulate wildly.

I was trying to cross once and this slow moving car was coming towards me and I nearly stepped into the road. It's a damn good thing I didn't, because this guy (a Congolese man) just kept driving. I gesticulated, as did others, and he looked at us with this big grin and waved. I had to laugh. Maybe he had recently arrived in Brussels thought "Wow, such nice people! All waving at me!"

5. Cars+People. This may not be true elsewhere in Brussels, but here in the Matonge it is something to be aware of. People will congregate on the sidewalks outside of hair dressing shops and record shops and basically take over the sidewalk. If you try to walk by more often than not they will refuse to move, forcing you to walk in the street. If this happens, be sure to check for oncoming cars. Take my word for that one.

6. Construction. Construction is happening all the time in Brussels. It often continues for ridiculous amounts of time and closes off sidewalks for all kinds of digging and ridiculously loud processes. (Side note: this will often start at 6am the morning you can actually sleep in and stop completely at 9am, never to start again.) This may mean there are detours, large boards used to cover up larger holes and other such obstacles. Proceed cautiously. There may also be random detours with minimal explanation. Beware, people may decide that this is the ideal spot to puke. No joke.

(Of course immediately after taking this picture, in an attempt to avoid stepping in the mess I tripped over the aluminum bars and twisted my ankle. That's what I get for complaining!)

7. Zucchinis? Yep, but this only happened once. There was a giant zucchini in the middle of the sidewalk. I just thought I'd include it because you really never know what you are going to see!

So there you have it, the perils of walking in Brussels. I think it's fun to put a positive spin on it and pretend you are in a video game. +10 points for not tripping on the cobblestone, +20 points for avoiding the dog poop, etc. Those who are advanced can try this routine with an umbrella in the windtunnel that is Porte de Namur! Good luck! And remember, if it happens to be sunny and warm, the sunny side is that much more likely to smell like piss (or is that just in the Matonge?)

Sunday, April 1, 2012

So I know I promised the post on walking in Brussels, but again, circumstances have intervened and I feel the need to share something else.

We have new neighbors both upstairs and down, the latter came by on Friday night so invite us to their housewarming the following night. They seemed like nice, early 20s flemish guys, so we said we might stop by. We didn't for one reason or another (ok, I was feeling lazy...). When the music started (same bass line, I was sure it was that Bacardi pre-mixed mojito commercial) at 7pm I chuckled and thought these guys are serious. Then "Circle of Life" from Lion King came on, quirky, I thought.

But the bass continued, rattling our floor, punctuated by cheers. By 2am I started to get fed up and was weighing my options. I didn't want to call the police, that would be extreme. But, if I knocked on their door I didn't want to be that neighbor. They had invited me, after all.

Around 2:30 they started playing a remix of "Big Jet Plane." Another song and then "Big Jet Plane." I'll just skip ahead and tell you that the played it 5 TIMES. In a HALF HOUR. It was around this time that I heard a noise on the staircase going up, but I thought at the time, maybe it's just our neighbors upstairs coming home.

A few minutes later I popped my head out the door to see how loud it was in the hallway. I saw a straw hat on our landing (it's 1 apartment per floor, w. small landings every half flight of stairs) and I muttered under my breath "Seriously?" and threw it down to the floor below. Then I heard another noise coming from above. I looked up at the landing above ours and what should I see??

A BARE ASS PUMPING AWAY. Yep, people were having full on sex on the windowsill a few steps up from my door. No longer in the mood to play nice I said something along the lines of "SERIOUSLY??!!?!?! You should NOT be doing that!! What the hell?!?! Come ON!!" I heard a couple of meek "sorry"'s as I marched downstairs (in my pijamas) and knocked on the door.

My heart was pounding as I tried to ask nicely for them to at least turn the bass down, as it was by this time 3:30am. They were very nice and did indeed turn it down. The guilty couple came down around this point and were trying to explain that I shouldn't worry, this was housewarming party and a one time thing. I said "Don't worry, I know, I was invited."

I finally went back upstairs feeling victorious, but no longer tired at all.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

As I was walking to Lidl (a budget grocery store here in Brussels, found all over Europe) today, I got the idea for my next blog post: the perils of walking in Brussels. And that will still be my next post. However, as I was walking back from Lidl (and the pet store) with a full granny cart of groceries and cat food, I came upon the real nightmare of walking in Brussels. Children.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love children, I want children, I still babysit for crying out loud, but this wasn't just a kid or two. This was a class (or combined class) of 50. All about 7 or 8 years old. On a sidewalk with a workable walking area where 2 adults can walk side by side almost comfortably. And here's me, going in the opposite direction WITH my shopping cart (full and heavy) facing the onslaught.

There were kids everywhere. Not looking where they were going. Running into me head on. Tripping over my cart. Trampling my toes. Taking over every. Fucking. Inch. Of. The. Sidewalk. And the teachers! The teachers were giving me dirty looks like, how dare I walk on this sidewalk in my neighborhood! How dare I when these kids needed it more! For shame!

Ugh, anyway, I made it home, cart and toes intact. And you can look forward to my continued ranting about walking the streets, er, sidewalks of Brussels (with pictures!) very soon.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Last night I went to see Gotye at the Ancienne Belgique. Having listened to his latest album "Making Mirrors" over and over in the last few weeks I already had a deep appreciation for his musicality and just general awesomeness, but was dismayed to see that the concert was sold out! But thanks to the fabulous Ancienne Belgique website which allows concert-goers (and would-be-concert-goers) discuss shows I was able to find myself a ticket! (In fact, I could have gotten ahold of 4!) Seriously, every concert venue needs to come up with a system like that, amazing.

I will also say that I don't think Gotye has really hit in the US, but here in Brussels I had a moment not a week ago in a little delhaize express. I was in the queu with some groceries and "Somebody that I used to know" came on. I start humming/whistling/flat out singing along, and so does the guy behind me! And then the guy in front! And there's the three of us, hardly acknowledging each other but having this connection. It's a feeling I rarely have in Brussels. So thank you, Gotye, for that!

Wouter "Wally" de Backer was actually born in Belgium, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that people here were excited about the show. The vibe was electric. The opening act, Gabrielle Aplin was welcomed very warmly and played some great original songs as well as a Lana del Rey cover which was fantastic. When Gotye finally made it onto the stage (it took a long time to get the equipment set up) they started slowly with some of their quieter pieces with gorgeous animations on the screen behind them.

I'm not even sure how to describe what it was like watching them get into it. Seeing Wally on the drums was... beautiful. I also found it fascinating to watch him make these little signals back stage when there was something that needed adjustment. I couldn't hear any problems or mistakes, but to see how involved he was in the sound that made it out to the audience was just so damn cool to watch. The animations were trippy as hell and just brought that much more to the show.

I could try to go more into the setlist, or try to describe the experience more, but I don't know how it could have been better. Well... I suppose if Kimbra had been able to make it it would have been that much more special. As it is I'm scheming how to get into the sold out show in Amsterdam in a few days. Hah, I wish!

In the mean time, do yourself a favor. Go listen to Gotye's album: "Making Mirrors." There's something on there for everyone. I am completely and utterly addicted. Can you tell?

Sunday, July 3, 2011

I've been to Tenerife before, in fact, one of my first blog posts was about that trip! Well, we went back again, and this time I got the opportunity to take some pictures of the local wildlife! This mostly includes a few crabs and some lizards (that I bated with a ripe banana, which worked a treat!), but it was a lot of fun!

First of all, I'd like to say sorry for the long absence. I honestly don't have much of an excuse, work kept me busy for a while, but for better or worse that is no longer the case (though it was my decision).

Onto the garden party in St. Boniface! I'm afraid I'm pretty unaware of upcoming events, so these things tend to sneak up on me, though they are always fun. In the morning they started putting grass/turf all over the street and they had already hung mock-laundry between the buildings. A DJ set up, there were drink stands and the part started in the afternoon.

Once the party really got started in the evening, I have to say, it was eclectic. I saw people of all ages, all races, all sexual orientations just having a good old time. Had I not over-indulged the night before (jello shots are dangerous, people) I would have joined right in!

Events like this are what really keep Brussels interesting and fun. You just never know when there will be a party on your doorstep!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

It occurs to me that I never posted about my Thanksgiving back in the good old US of A! Of course the meal was delicious, my dad and I cooked up a storm and fun was had by all. I could go on more, but I think it might be better to let the few pictures I have speak for me.

Dad and I were co-chefs, in the past I had the title of sous-chef, but he said I graduated to executive chef this year... :)

The pies weren't the most beautiful things I've ever seen, but YUM. Pecan and caramel pumpkin... how can you go wrong?

The gigantic turkey on its rotisserie on the grill. THIS is the way to make tasty turkey!

Our awesome turkey-timer was in the shape of a turkey and it's legs stick up in the air when the turkey is done! (it also looks like the mini-turkey is saying toouuuuuuuuchhh dooowwwwwwnnnnn!!!) P.S. This turkey timer was later eaten by the mice that live in the snack drawer.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Well, it's not exactly summer, in fact, the bitter cold and humidity make that painfully obvious, but in trying to figure out what to post I came across this picture from this past July.

This is the view from my bedroom window, and I have to say, it's pretty freakin nice. Brussels may not be the ideal travel destination for many people, and dealing with the bureaucracy if you live here can be a nightmare (19 mayors in Brussels and no national government?? Really??), but on certain summer nights it's grand to be in old Belgique.